Prognosis
Once a Covid Role Model, Chile Now Among the World’s Worst
- Pandemic exploded when it reached the poorer areas of Santiago
- Foreign-educated government seen out of touch with the people
This article is for subscribers only.
Two months ago, Chile was admired for its surgical approach to the pandemic -- testing widely and quarantining by neighborhood. Today it has among the world’s highest rates of per-capita infections and its once-praised health minister has been forced to resign.
Initial assessments suggest that Chile followed the lead of wealthy nations only to realize -- once again -- that a large percentage of its citizens are poor, an echo of last year’s disconnect between government and nation when a subway fare increase led to massive riots.